Appellate Division Reverses Supreme Court and Adopts Referee Report of HBABy decision dated September 19, 2006, the Appellate Division Second Department reversed a decision of the Supreme Court and determined that HBA partner John A, Harras, acting as referee, had correctly concluded that a 1922 facially ambiguous deed had transferred a numbered unimproved lot in the configuration shown on an amended subdivision map, and rejected defendants claim that deed related to a larger lot bearing the same lot number as shown on an earlier filed map. In addition to the language of the deed and fact that the deed was recorded after the filling of the amended map, the evidence demonstrated the defendant and his predecessors had not exercised control of the additional lot area, thus undermining the defendants proposed interpretation of the deed in dispute.

HBA Wins Decision Invalidating Local Adjudicatory BoardHarras Bloom & Archer successfully challenged the constitutionally of a municipal adjudicatory board enacted by the Town of Huntington to prosecute alleged violations of the Town's zoning code. The New York Supreme Court determined that the local adjudicatory board, empowered by local law to impose large fines and place tax liens against private property, constituted an illegal court which infringed on the New York State constitution's establishment of a unified court system and otherwise violated due process rights.
"Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome."

Harras Bloom & Archer LLP is located in Melville, NY and represents clients in real estate transactions, real estate litigation, zoning and land use and business litigation matters throughout Long Island and the five boroughs of New York City.